Sherlock's niece
by Anja94
Summary: Sixteen year old Aubrey lives with her uncle Sherlock Holmes and his partner in crime John Watson in 221B Baker Street. All, she wants to find out, is who killed her parents and who else should be helping her with that case than the great detective himself?
1. Intro

_Aubrey Downfield was Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes's only niece, she was the daughter of their sister Lavinia and her husband George. Aubrey's parents mysteriously died almost a year ago and since then she's been living with her uncle Sherlock and his friend John Watson in 221B Baker Street. She occasionally spent some time with her other uncle Mycroft when he wasn't busy working in politics. Aubrey was much alike her uncle Sherlock, she was always the only one who dared to compete with him in anything involving thinking and deduction, she even won few times (Sherlock swore he didn't let her win, after all everyone knew he wasn't the type to give up for someone). Despite his nature, Sherlock cared about his niece and tried to protect her at any occasion, even though he didn't show his soft spot very often (well rarely ever), Aubrey knew she could count on him at any time and on everything. Aubrey even helped Sherlock establish his blog 'The Science of Deduction'. From time to time, the 16-year old showed signs of having the similar nature as her uncle, which never really pleased her parents but as her mother used to say 'you can't stop the genes'. Since her parents died Aubrey was determined to discover who and why killed them and capture him. So, far she got a few a leads, but nothing too revealing._

**P.S. This is my first Sherlock fanfic, hope you're going to like it! :) Please review, I'd like to know if I should continue with the story.**


	2. The Bert and Ernie syndrome

"Hey, I'm home, anyone here?" Aubrey informed everyone as she walked into 221B Baker Street apartment. "Hi, uncle John," she greeted the man sitting in the armchair. "Hi, Aubrey how's been your day?" he asked. "Ah, same old, same old, school and stuff, something interesting happened to you?" 16-year old asked. "Define interesting," John laughed. "True, well, any murders or whatsoever going on?" girl was interested. "Ah, that? No, but I did have few really obnoxious patients, some people should really just stay in their bed all day long when they wake up in that kind of mood," he answered and the two of them laughed. "If it were that easy," Aubrey stated. "You tell me," John gasped.

"Well, hello you two," Sherlock cheerfully greeted his niece and his friend. "Hi," the two of them greeted him back in unison. "Aren't you going t ask me, what got me in so good mood?" Sherlock teased them. "Alright, what got you in so good mood?" Aubrey walked over to her uncle holding a mug and sipping the tea slowly. "Oh, wait! Let me answer! There's been a murder right?" Aubrey added jokingly. "Good, do you want to hear everything about the case?" the great detective smiled at the girl. "I thought you wouldn't ask!" Aubrey answered and sat in front of her uncle on the sofa and starred at him. "John?" Sherlock asked. "Yeah, I'm listening," John closed the newspapers he was reading the whole time. "Is everyone ready?" "Yes! Just start telling the story already, will you please?!" "Ok, alright, so..." Sherlock then retold them everything he knew about the case so far.

The case revolved around young man, whose dead body had been found on the river bank, everything was pointing out that he jumped from the bridge nearby. Lestrade was sceptic about that theory when finding out that the man had no rational reason to commit a suicide. Therefore, Lestrade called Sherlock who just confirmed the inspector's hypothesis. Furthermore, they found evidence that the man was killed by a poison hours before he was dropped into the river (possibly from the bridge since the distance from the bridge to the place where his body was found was suitable). The victim has been identified as Albert Rockford by his twin brother Ernest Rockford, 'It was astonishing how much the two of the looked alike' as Sherlock remarked. Albert Rockford got notice a month ago and since then he hasn't been able to find a proper job, while his brother Ernest was a wealthy young man who worked as CEO for one big company.

"So, do we have some suspects?" John asked innocently after Sherlock finished retelling the story. "Well, his brother obviously," Aubrey answered him without hesitation and the doctor starred at her surprised. "Well, he has the motive," the girl simply explained. "What? How?" Watson was confused as always. "If anyone had a motive, it was the victim to kill the other brother, who's alive," he then added. "Yes, exactly," Sherlock and Aubrey said in unison. "I-I don't get it...," John gave up. "It's simple, they are twins, so each of them can easily pretend to be the other one, get it?" 16-year old said. "Oh... oh!" John finally started to understand what the two of them were implying. "And you're saying that-"he started. "That Ernest could be really Albert who's just pretending to be his brother who he murdered to get to a better post and more money," Aubrey added and looked at her uncle who nodded his head in acknowledge. "You've done great so far," Sherlock smirked proudly at his 16-year old niece. "Thank you," she smiled at him. "Ok, I understand everything now and I completely agree with you, but how can we prove your point?" John asked. "Well, yes, that is the only problem I have yet not figured out how to solve. There is no proof on which brother is which since they are completely identical," Sherlock answered. "And there come you to help my dear friend," the great detective then suddenly added as something popped in his great mind. "Oh do I? Of course I do!" John sighted sarcastically. "You as doctor will help me examine the body, there must be some difference between the twins, when we find it we'll compare our result with notes the doctors made when the two of them were born. You know, when twins are born, doctors are obliged to write down even the tiniest difference between the babies," Sherlock explained. "And how on earth do you know that?" John was yet again surprised by his friend's vast knowledge about nearly everything. "I educate myself," Holmes simply answered. "Will you help me then?" he then asked. "Well, of course!" John agreed immediately. "And can I-?" Aubrey started asking. "No, you have school and other stuff to be interested into," her uncle abruptly interrupted her. "But, I do have another task for you to do, but about that later," Sherlock added mysteriously, making Aubrey and John wonder what he meant by that.

Few hours and countless cups of tea later, Sherlock and John finally found what they were looking for. On Albert Rockford's dead body was a birth mark on his left arm, but according to birth notes Ernest Rockford had a mark like that, not his brother. That was enough good proof of Sherlock's theory. Now, there was time for Aubrey to play her part. She had to call her uncle Mycroft, who had a few associates in Rockford's company, with their help he would spread a rumour that Ernest had saved around 1 mil. £ in a certain bank. As soon as our 'Ernest' he discovered that, he ran to the bank to make sure that the rumours were true. Soon, he discovered that there was even more than 1 mil. £, along with the money there was also police waiting for him. "You really thought that it would be that easy?" Sherlock asked the shocked man. "What are you talking about?" Ernest seemed not to understand. "Getting off with murder of your twin brother!" Sherlock exclaimed. "What?! Are you crazy? Why the hell would I do that?" Ernest laughed nervously. "Because you are in fact Albert Rockford and not Ernest Rockford!" Sherlock explained. "You must be really crazy," Rockford answered him unbelievingly and started walking away but was stopped by one of the officers. "I can prove that I'm right," Sherlock said and glanced at John. "Ok, than, I'm interested in that," Rockford starred at Holmes. "Real Ernest Rockford has birth mark on his left arm, we found that on your brother's dead body and I'm pretty sure we won't find it on your body. Officer, will you please," John glanced at one of the officers. "Of course sir," officer answered and walked towards Rockford. "Don't!" Rockford tried to defend himself, but officer already grabbed his arm and pulled up his sleeve. "See? No birth mark," Sherlock said satisfied. "Thank you officer," John then added and officer let go off of the man. "Ok, fine, I'm Albert Rockford, not my brother Ernest Rockford!" Rockford finally confessed. "You killed your brother for his money, didn't you?" John asked him. "Yes! Yes, I did. Ernie was such a greedy man, I begged him to lend me some money again when I lost my job, but he said 'No Bert, I think you should find proper job, me landing you more money won't help you to stand back on your feet'. Oh, he was such an idiot!" Albert explained. Aubrey suddenly started laughing and all the eyes pointed at her confused. "Bert and Ernie? Sesame Street?" she explained. "Oh," the others answered and laughed a little too. "Man, your parents must have had a fantasy!" she then added. "Well, yeah, um...," Albert was bit taken aback, but continued. "Anyway, then I met this one man when I was begging for some money on the street, he was also a beggar, we spoke and I told him about my stupid brother and he actually gave me the idea to do what I've done, oh clever man! And I didn't even get a chance to properly thank him for such a good advice," Albert laughed evilly. "Who was the man?" Sherlock asked sensing something wrong about it. "Can't tell you," Albert winked at him provocatively. "WHO WAS IT?! Who gave you the idea to kill your brother?!" Sherlock demanded angrily and grabbed Albert Rockford by the collar. "I-I can't tell you," the man hesitated, but was quickly convinced by detective's angry look. "Ok, his name was Moriarty, J. Moriarty, I think James or Jim or something like that," he finally answered and Sherlock let go off of him and starred at him in pure surprise. "MORIARTY?!" Aubrey, John and Mycroft all exclaimed in unison.

About an hour later, Sherlock, John, Aubrey and Mycroft were all in Lestrade's office, all still in shock from what they found out, but most of all was in shock Sherlock. "He said it was Moriarty, can you believe it?! We caught Moriarty almost three years ago! How could it have been him?! Tell me! How is possible?!" Sherlock screamed angrily and walked around Lestrade's office nervously. "Holmes, I didn't mean to tell you this, because I didn't want to upset you, but Moriarty escaped the prison a year ago," Lestrade suddenly said. "WHAT?!" Sherlock stopped and starred at inspector in shock. "We don't know how he did it, but my men are trying very hard to get him again," Lestrade explained. "B-but why didn't you tell me?" Sherlock asked confused. "I didn't want to upset you. Besides that, you had other things to do at that time, you know, your sister...," with his last words Lestrade looked apologetically at Aubrey. "Oh, oh you didn't want to upset me? How splendid!" Sherlock started nervously walking around the room again. "Wait, did you say it was a year ago? That-that's the time my parents died...," Aubrey started realizing certain things. "Is-is it possible that...?" Aubrey asked with shaking voice. "Yes, it is very possible," Sherlock stopped walking and looked at his worried niece. "Wait, you mean that...?" Mycroft suddenly realised what his brother and his niece meant. "That it is very possible that it was Moriarty who-"Sherlock started. "Killed my parents," Aubrey finished for him.


End file.
